The Lee's Summit Police Department is warning residents about various phone scams.

The Lee's Summit Police Department is warning residents about various phone scams.

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Updated: 6:27 PM CST Feb 5, 2015

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WEBVTT POINTED A GUN AT HER. A 23-YEAR-OLD HAS ALREADY BEEN ARRESTED. POLICE WANT YOU TO BE ON ALERT TONIGHT FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF PHONE SCAMS. AND IT APPEARS THE SCAMMERS ARE BECOMING MORE BRAZEN -- EVEN THREATENING. KMBC 9'S PEGGY BREIT IS LIVE WITH THE LATEST. PEGGY? PEGGY: FOR WHATEVER REASON, LEE'S SUMMIT POLICE HAVE BEEN GETTING A LARGE NUMBER OF CALLS ABOUT THE SCAMS. ONE RESIDENT HERE GOT TAKEN FOR $30,000, AND THE CALLS KEEP COMING. WHEN YOU'RE BUSY DOING YOUR JOB, YOU'RE NOT EXPECTING A SCAMMER TO CALL. BUT THAT'S JUST WHAT HAPPENED AT SUMMIT PET CARE. AND IT SOUNDED LEGIT. CALLER ID SAYING THE CALL WAS FROM A WELL KNOWN UTILITY. EVENTUALLY, THE MAN ON THE LINE GOT TESTY WITH OWNER LINDA PULSE, THREATENING TO TURN OFF HER COMPANY'S GAS IF SHE DIDN'T PAY ALMOST $800,000. LINDA PULSE: I HAD TO PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION, AND ONCE I HAD TO PROVIDE THEM WITH MORE INFORMATION THAN WHAT THEY WERE GIVING ME, I KNEW, I KNEW SOMETHING WASN'T QUITE RIGHT, IT DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT. PEGGY: LINDA STOPPED SHORT OF SENDING MONEY. BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO DO. SGT. CHRIS DEPUE: IF THEY MAKE A THOUSAND CALLS A DAY AND THEY CAN GET THREE PEOPLE TO GIVE THEM A DECENT SIZE OF MONEY, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD PROFIT AND THEN THEY WILL CONTINUE THAT SCAM, AND THEY'LL CONTINUE TO VICTIMIZE PEOPLE. PEGGY: SOME OF THE MOST COMMON THEMES, YOUR RELATIVE IS IN JAIL AND NEEDS BAIL MONEY. YOU HAVE AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT AND YOU'LL BE TAKEN TO JAIL IF YOU DON'T PAY NOW. YOU HAVE AN UNPAID UTILITY BALANCE AND YOUR SERVICE WILL BE SHUT OFF. YOU OWE THE IRS TAXES AND PENALTIES. AND, YOU'VE WON A PRIZE, BUT YOU HAVE TO PAY TAXES AND FEES. SHIRLEY PERKINS TOOK A SCAMMER'S CALL JUST THIS MORNING AND CAME AWAY WITH THIS THOUGHT. SHIRLEY PERKINS: I WANT PEOPLE TO BE AWARE THAT YOU KNOW IT IS GOING ON, I DON'T WANT THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS TO BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF LIKE THIS. PEGGY: POLICE TELL US A NEW TARGET FOR THE SCAMMERS ARE PEOPLE IN THE 20 TO 50 YEAR OLD AGE RANGE. PEOPLE WITH ENOUGH TECH SAVVY TO BUY RELOADABLE, PRE-PAID MONEY CARDS -- THE SCAMMERS' FAVORITE KIND. PEGGY BREIT, KMBC 9 NEWS. LARA: LEE'S SUMMIT'S WORST CASE WAS JUST LAST SPRING. A MAN THREATENED WITH DEPORTATION LOADED $30,000 ONTO THOSE PRE-PAID CARDS AND LOST IT ALL BEFORE REALIZING HE WAS BEING SCAMMED. POLICE TELL US IT'S VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TRACE THE CALLS OR

Phone scams prompt new warnings in Lee's Summit

The Lee's Summit Police Department is warning residents about various phone scams.